Woo, next part is up! Disclaimer and warnings the same as normal.
Over the next few weeks, things slowly, very slowly, began to change and shift. You to be looking closely to see it, but I was.
I realized it had started when, two days after my outburst in the Great Hall, Thomas Hunter, the Ravenclaw prefect and Justin O'Riley, the Hufflepuff prefect, approached Sirius and me as we were sitting under a tree near the lake. The two prefects were the ones I had walked in on while they were in the prefects' bathroom. When they came to talk to us, they were holding hands.
"Hey Remus, Sirius," Thomas said, uncomfortably, but smiling.
"Thomas, Justin?" Sirius replied in surprise.
"I wanted to apologize for what I said the other day. It was wrong, and you were right. I didn't want the people I called my friends to know. I didn't want to go through what I was watching you two go through," Thomas said. "But, I realized that it was worth it. Love is worth it, right? So I came out to the Ravenclaws, Justin to the Hufflepuffs, and we didn't have to hide anymore. "
Justin nodded, smiling softly. "Thank you."
With that, they turned away, swinging their interlocked hands as they walked.
After that, people still talked about us, but they didn't do so as openly. They still wouldn't walk or sit near us, but it was different somehow.
So slowly, the dynamics of the school changed. The Slytherins were still opening hostile, but it was still different.
As I noticed the school changing, I realized to my utter dismay that the full moon was approaching alarmingly fast. I mean, I guess I spent the first week of the month unconscious, but still.
So, it was with a feeling of dread that I left for the hospital wing so Madame Pomfrey could escort me to the Shrieking Shack.
"Hope this moon is better than the last one," Madame Pomfrey told me as she said goodbye.
"It will be," I promised.
She smiled and kissed the top of my head. "I hope so, dear. I hope so."
She disappeared down the stairs, and I listened to her go down the tunnel. Silence fell, as I was left to look around the room. The house creaked in the wind, but other than that, I was alone. The room was full of scratches and destroyed furniture. Moony's mark and proof he'd been here. The dark red stains on the floor and the tuffs of fur left over from Moony tearing at himself.
I turned towards the door when I heard the shuffling of feet as people moved through the rock tunnel and into the shack.
James, Peter, and Sirius appeared. I smiled at them.
"Don't worry Moony. This one's going to be better." James said with a smile.
I didn't get to reply as the moon came up over the trees. I couldn't suppress a shriek as my bones began to crunch and shift. Fur sprouted everywhere, and my conscious was shoved roughly aside. My throat wasn't mine anymore. Moony howled partly in pain, but more in triumph.
Moony was free.
Moony's POV
He whined as the pain subsided. He shook out his fur, paws slipping on the wooden floor. Sharp smells came from around the room.
Moony's pack was standing against the wall of fake-den. Moony's Padfoot was coming towards him. Moony gave a yelp of excitement, tail wagging hopefully.
Moony's Padfoot barked happily. "Outside? Play?"
Moony bounced down the stairs, and they all went together out the door.
Moony's large grass eater with Moony's little rat on his head trotted towards the forest, just ahead of Moony and Moony's Padfoot. Moony's Padfoot walked close enough that their coats brushed.
Moony decided that he wanted to run, and with a bark, barreled past Moony's large grass eater and Moony's little rat. Moony's Padfoot charged after him, tongue hanging out.
Flying through the trails in the trees, Moony's Padfoot easily caught up. They loped gracefully together, side by side, heading deeper into the forest.
Moony saw the drop off before his Padfoot did. He slid to an ungraceful stop, mere inches away from a near five foot drop. It then sloped out, a steep slope that was dotted with rocks and trees. "No ground! No ground!" Moony warned his Padfoot.
Moony's Padfoot slipped and skidded as he tried to stop himself. Moony reached out and caught the stuff of his Padfoot's neck in his mouth just was he fell over the ledge. The weight pulled Moon towards the edge. He couldn't pull his Padfoot back up. Moony's Padfoot was too well-feed for Moony's Padfoot's own good. Moony's Padfoot was slipping out of his grasp. Moony wasn't strong enough to pull him up, and if he bit down harder, he would hurt his Padfoot.
Moony's Padfoot glanced down, then back up at Moony, who was crouched low, barely managing to hang on. "Moony, Padfoot ok. Let Padfoot go. Get Prongs, Wormtail. They help."
Moony whined, but didn't let go. He couldn't tell Moony's Padfoot no. If he opened his mouth, Moony's Padfoot would definitely fall.
Moony slid more towards the edge, dirt and rocks raining down as they were loosened by his claws.
Moony's Padfoot whimpered, before he started swinging back and forth. "Moony, let Padfoot go!"
Moony couldn't hold him anymore. As his Padfoot wriggled out of his grip, he watched as Moony's Padfoot plummeted down, hit the slop and rolled down into the darkness, and out of sight.
Moony stood up quickly, and dashed back to fake den. He would wait for his large grass eater there. His large grass eater could us his head sticks to help Moony's Padfoot. Maybe Moony's Padfoot could climb up the slope and climb up using his large grass eater's head sticks.
Fake den was empty when he got back. Moony's pack wasn't anywhere to be seen. Moony paced in agitation as he waited for his large grass eater and his little rat.
He heard them coming, and ran to meet them.
"Moony's Padfoot fall. Moony's Padfoot gone!"
His large grass eater turned his head to the side. Did he not understand? Moony tried again.
"Moony, Padfoot, run. Padfoot no stop. Ground stop. Padfoot fall. Padfoot gone!"
His large grass eater still looked confused.
Moony snarled in frustration. They no understand such obvious statement.
Moony's Padfoot needed help, but Moony couldn't help him. He would have to-
Darn was lightening the sky, and Moony howled in pain.
Moony was no more for the next month.
Remus's POV
When I woke up in the hospital wing, I couldn't understand why I felt so distressed. Moony must have been upset.
I sat up slowly, and looked around. Lily and Peter were talking rapidly, but when they saw me, they fell silent. Lily looked upset, and Peter seemed grim.
"What's wrong? You look like someone's died," I said, looking around. "Where are James and Sirius?"
They looked at each other.
Lily looked back at me. "We don't know."
Bum bum bum. So, I have a question now. Who's point of view do you want the next chapter in? I was thinking it would be cool in either James's POV or Sirius's POV. Just review with your opinions.
